By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports
BATON ROUGE – In his 28th game as LSU’s head football coach, Brian Kelly finally showed what causes him to erupt like a volcano.
It’s failing to salt away a win after leading in the second half.
The then-No. 13 ranked Tigers couldn’t extend a 17-13 advantage over then-No. 23 USC in Sunday’s season-opening Modelo Vegas Classic. They lost 27-20, thanks to USC running back Woody Marks’ 13-yard game-winning TD run with 8 seconds left.
It was the second time in the last two seasons LSU lost when leading in the second half. The Tigers fell 55-49 at Ole Miss last season after leading 49-40 with 8:34 left in the game.
Kelly’s postgame response after the USC loss – punctuated by pounding his fist on a table – was an outpouring of sheer frustration. His flames were fanned by his team failing to put nails in USC’s coffin after LSU forged ahead on quarterback Garrett Nussmeier’s 13-yard TD pass to Aaron Anderson with 3:42 left in the third quarter.
There is a list of corrections the now-18th-ranked Tigers need to make before Saturday’s 6:30 p.m. home opener vs. Nicholls State. But how do you improve the lack of killer instinct?
“You just have to continue to build a mindset amongst your guys that the focus is on dominating that play,” Kelly said Tuesday at his weekly in-season press conference. “We’re still working on that every single day, about dominating the play in front of us.
“Sometimes we get outside of that, we start thinking big picture. Or the game is over if we get one more stop. Forget about one more stop. Think about this play right now. We’re still building that with our group.
“This is going to be a good football team, but we got to understand that it takes 70 to 80, 90 to 100 plays, and you’ve got to stick with it. You can’t let your guard down for one second.”
While Kelly felt LSU’s revamped defense of new coordinator Blake Baker played well enough for the Tigers to win – “We got consistent play from our defensive tackles, really good depth play at defensive end, I liked our linebackers and cornerbacks,” he said – LSU’s running game was a huge disappointment.
Running behind a returning veteran offensive line with 98 career starts, LSU gained just 117 rushing yards on 26 attempts. Nineteen of the attempts gained 4 or fewer yards each.
“This is not just on our players, it’s on coaching as well,” Kelly said. “I don’t know that it’s a particular scheme as much as it is we’ve got to make sure that we’re putting our guys in a good position. We can’t be predictable.
“When it’s third down, and everybody knows you want to run it, let’s be creative in running the football. But let’s execute at a high level, and we didn’t execute at the level we’re capable of executing. Our O-line knows that.”
INJURY REPORT: Kelly said reserve junior defensive end Princeton Malbrue, a Northwestern State transfer, sustained a serious knee injury vs. USC as a kickoff coverage team member. He’s likely done for the season. Also, starting wide receiver Kyle Parker had a UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) elbow injury and wide receiver Chris Hilton is continuing to rehab a preseason ankle injury that forced him to miss the USC game. Both are doubtful for the Nicholls State matchup.
KNOW YOUR ENEMY
No. 14 LSU (0-1) vs. Nicholls State (0-1) Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Saturday, 6:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
Last game for Nicholls: The Colonels forced five turnovers and linebacker Elin Ennis earned Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors in a 25-18 season-opening loss at Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs recorded six sacks as Nicholls had just 204 total offense yards.
Series record and last meeting: Although Baton Rouge and Thibodaux are just 68 miles apart, this is the first football game between the Tigers and the Colonels.
Nicholls head coach: Tim Rebowe (53-49) in 10 seasons overall, all at Nicholls.
THIS AND THAT
Appearance fee paid by LSU to Nicholls per game contract: $760,000 and 600 complimentary tickets.
Early betting line: LSU by 19½
Number of Louisiana natives on Nicholls roster: 77
Number of Louisiana natives on LSU roster: 59
Number of transfers on Nicholls roster from 4-year schools: 12 players from 11 schools including 1 player from a Power 4 Conference school
NICHOLLS PLAYERS TO WATCH
QB Pat McQuaide (10 of 28 for 138 passing yards, TD), RB Collin Guggenheim (79 rushing yards on 18 attempts), WR Quincy Brown (4 catches for 70 yards, 1 TD, LB Eli Ennis (10 tackles, ½ TFL, 1 interception, 1 fumble recovery, LB Alex Villavaso (6 tackles, 1 sack), PK Ray Vallee (0 of 2 FG, 2 of 2 extra points), P Kylan Dupree (10 for 44.6, 3 fair catches, 4 inside the 20, 3 50 yards + punts).
THREE AND OUT
1. What was the last calendar year that Nicholls won two sporting events over LSU?
A.1986
B. 2023
C. 2012
D. 1999
2. What former LSU QB played for five different schools including Nicholls in seven seasons of college eligibility?
A. TJ Finley
B. Lowell Narcisse
C. Lindsey Scott Jr.
D. Justin McMillan
3. Who was the last Power 4 conference football team Nicholls beat?
A. TCU
B. Kansas
C. Kansas State
D. Texas Tech
ANSWERS: 1. B 2. C. 3. B